Bofors 75 mm and 80 mm guns | |
---|---|
Type | Anti-aircraft gun |
Place of origin | Sweden |
Service history | |
In service | 1930–present |
Used by | |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
Designer | Bofors AB, Krupp |
Designed | 1928 |
Manufacturer | Bofors AB |
Produced | 1930 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 7.5 cm m/30: combat 3,300 kg (7,300 lb) 8 cm m/29: travel 4,200 kg (9,300 lb), combat 3,300 kg (7,300 lb)[1] |
Length | 7.5 cm m/30: 5.9 m (19 ft 4 in) |
Barrel length | 7.5 cm m/30: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) L/52 8 cm m/29: 4 m (13 ft) L/50[1] |
Crew | dependent on use |
Shell | 7.5 cm m/30: 75 x 604mm R[2] |
Shell weight | 7.5 cm m/30: 6.4 kg (14 lb) 8 cm m/29: 8 kg (18 lb) |
Caliber | 7.5 cm m/30: 75 mm (3.0 in) 8 cm m/29: 80 mm (3.1 in)[1] |
Elevation | +80-3°[1] |
Traverse | 360°[1] |
Muzzle velocity | 7.5 cm m/30: 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) 8 cm m/29: 750 m/s (2,500 ft/s)[1] |
Maximum firing range | 7.5 cm m/30: 11 km (36,000 ft) 8 cm m/29: 10 km (33,000 ft)[1] |
Bofors 75 mm and Bofors 80 mm were two closely related designs of anti-aircraft and general-purpose artillery. Less well known than the 40 mm quick-firing AA gun, the gun was nevertheless adopted by armed forces of numerous countries during World War II, including Argentina, China, Dutch East Indies, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Persia and Thailand.[1] It was closely related to the 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41, one of the best-known AA guns of World War II, which was partially based on it.[1] Some pieces captured by the Japanese in China served as the blueprint for the Type 4 75 mm AA Gun, a reverse-engineered clone of the Bofors 75mm gun.[3]